Creamy Mac and Cheese in the Rice Cooker

 

I'm hungry for some macaroni and cheese. I have tweaked my mac and cheese recipe over time and ended up with this yummy version that we love! 

 I love my pressure cookers and use them to death, but I also love my rice cooker for fast meals too.  These are great for college students who are allowed to cook in their dorms or have their own place. Fast meals, cheap. You can make ziti and all sorts of things in this little machine.  It does all of the work for you and only one easy to clean bowl. 

Creamy Mac and Cheese in the Rice Cooker

Serves four

1½ c water

2 cups macaroni or small shells pasta

a dash of salt

Hit cook and walk away (this takes about 10-15 mins)

Then, when it goes into keep warm mode, open the lid, add:

1½ cups shredded cheese

1 cup milk, half and half or cream

¼ cup cream cheese cubed

¼ c sour cream

¼ c  parmesan cheese 

 (note: I don't really measure, just eye it, its not a big deal, its all good)

Put the lid back on and let the cheese melt or to make it go faster, hit cook but stir w a wooden spoon so not to over cook the cheeses. 

You can add hot sauce with the cheese if you want it buffalo style, or let everyone add their own to their bowl of it, if some don't like it hot. I love to add finely diced jalapenos to mine too when adding the cheese but again, some aren't into hot. 

You can also add chopped broccoli about halfway thru the cooking cycle to add some green veggies to it. 

Some people hate cream cheese, just sub in the same amount of sour cream (basically double the sour cream)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Okay this is going to be short and sweet.  My mom made this for my boys a few years ago and they loved it. It's so fast to make, especially if you use store bought Rotisserie Chicken or even canned chicken works.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1 cup sour cream
½ C Louisiana Hot Sauce
3 cups cooked chicken

Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and hot sauce until smooth, stir in chicken.

Pour into an 8 inch baking dish (baking stones will keep it hot longer).  Bake at 350° for 18-22 mins.  Serve with crackers and celery.

Basil Pasta Dough

I LOVE basil..it is by far my very favorite herb.  It's a rainy day so I decided to make my homemade linguini with clam sauce and add some of the delicious basil that is in my herb garden to the pasta dough.

I cut the big stems out of the basil.

Oh there's the crackle blue polish some of you asked for a pic of. The pink undercoat was too loud. Light blue undercoat and dark blue crackle now.

It's one cut if you fold it in half.

Then throw it in the food processor and hit the spin button.

Then I just follow my pasta dough recipe

3 C flour

1 T salt

(give it a whirl)

In a measure cup, fork whisk 4 eggs and some oil (olive if you like, I have really grown to hate olive oil, I use grapeseed or avocado)

Pour into food processor and whirl for a min or two.

It's gonna look grainy.  Like cornmeal.  Dump it on the wooden cutting board or whatever ya knead on.

Knead together (I do half at a time, my hands are small)

If it seems dry, just run your hands under the water and continue to knead.

Than put it into plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before getting out the rolling machine.

    I prefer the manual pasta machine, just because I can control the spin of it, and back up if I need to.  It's easy to do once you use it one time.  Cheaper too and you don't have to lug out your kitchen aid stand mixer to power the electric one.


You can roll this out to any desired pasta...keep it flat and uncut out of the pasta roller and make lasagna or manicotti.  I have a homemade ricotta recipe I make often that is super easy!  You must try it, its so much better than store bought ricotta.


This cookbook is really cool.  Giada even has a fried ravioli in it!  YUM  I will have to make that next!.  I love anything fried!

When you put it through the pasta machine, cut each half batch into about three or four and flatten it out slightly with the palms of your hand.  Then, on setting 2 (or the wide setting) roll it through, tugging upward slightly to lengthen it (that's what she said).

Fold in half and run it through on the same setting four times.  Then move the setting to the next smallest, 3 in my case. Run it through twice, tugging upwards without tearing it, to lengthen it. Do this twice at each setting up to setting five or six, whatever you prefer for thickness. I like mine a little thicker so I keep it on five.

You can lay it out and dry it out, I usually let mine dry a tad before I boil it. 

Boil about 4-5 mins. 

 This recipe makes the equivlent to one box of pasta.

YUM  I love to eat it raw....

Super Foods: Chia Seeds.. Ch-ch-ch-chia

 Everyone's heard of them.  They aren't just a novelty gimmick to be found growing on dinosaurs,  Barack Obama and Scooby Doo. These seeds are one of the healthiest super foods.  These seeds are virtually tasteless so you can add them to your diet quite easily. Sprinkle it over your salad, eat them plain, but make sure you eat them.

Chia means "Strength" in Mayan and is nicknamed the Indian Running Food.  It contains 2 X the protein of any other grain, 5 X the calcium of milk, 2 X the potassium of bananas, 3 X the iron of spinach.  It has a high Omega 3 concentration and is a complete protein

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Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Chia has a nutlike flavor. You can mix seeds in water and add lime or lemon juice and sugar to make a drink known in Mexico and Central America as "chia fresca." As with ground flax seeds, you can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, in yogurt or salads, eat them as a snack, or grind them and mix them with flour when making muffins or other baked goods. I find them tasty and an interesting addition to my diet.

Read more about Chia on Dr. Weil's page..

7 GOOD REASONS TO START EATING CHIA SEEDS

1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
4. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
5. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect againstinflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
6. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
7. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.

Runner Friendly Recipe:  Chia Fresca

Raw Chocolate Chia Energy Bars Recipe

Chia is referenced in the following books. 

     

Homeopathy

I had the pleasure of meeting a gal named Ashley two weeks ago at my fav little cafe, Good Eatz. She has taught me a lot about Homeopathy and guided me on what books are good to follow.  I enjoy our Wednesday sessions at Good Eatz every week.  She is filled with great info.  If you live in the area, come to Good Eatz in West Reading on Wed nights at 6:30, she has about four sessions left, don't miss it.



 Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook is an amazing place to start if you are interested in learning how to cure your own ailments.  It has info for the beginner as well as remedies to use for survival during natural disasters, when medical care may not be available.

Effective, safe, affordable, and free of chemical side effects-the benefits of homeopathy are endless! Already established in the national health care systems of England, France, and the Netherlands, homeopathic treatments are used by over 500 million people worldwide. Alan Schmukler's Homeopathy discusses the history and science of this alternative medicine and provides a comprehensive list of proven remedies-safe for people and animals. 

Packed with homeopathic treatments for arthritis, colds, food poisoning, insomnia, Lyme disease, morning sickness, wounds, and a host of other ailments and injuries, this handy reference guide also includes information on homeopathic immunization and first aid. Schmukler gives helpful instructions for matching remedies with symptoms, ingesting them correctly, making remedies at home, and stretching your supply. 




Exerpt from the book.


What Is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a medical science that uses natural substances to mimic
illness and stimulate healing. It is based on the idea of "like cures like."
Any substance that can produce symptoms in a healthy person can cure
those same symptoms in a sick person.

Here are several examples of this principle:
a. An onion is a substance that makes your eyes water and your
nose burn. So if you are having an attack of hay fever with watering
eyes and a burning nose, a few doses of homeopathic onion
can relieve it.

b. Poison ivy causes redness, small blisters, intense itching, and
stiff muscles. Homeopathically it has been used for everything
from herpes and burns to eczema and arthritis.

c. Coffee can overstimulate the mind and trigger insomnia. Homeopathic
coffee can help restore sleep disturbed by an overactive
mind.

d. When you are stung by a bee you feel a burning, stinging pain,
and the tissues surrounding the area swell up. Some relief is
obtained from applying cold to the area. If you had swollen tonsils
with burning and stinging pain relieved by cold, homeopathic
bee sting could cure.

Over two thousand substances are now used as remedies to treat everything
from colds and cough to arthritis and cancer.

Why Turn to Homeopathy?
1. When antibiotics fail, homeopathic remedies will still work.
Germs can never develop a resistance to homeopathic remedies.

The remedies do not kill the germs directly, but rather,
they stimulate the immune system to do the healing. For the
last two hundred years, homeopaths have cured meningitis,
endocarditis, pneumonia, nephritis, tuberculosis, plague, and
venereal diseases using homeopathic remedies alone.

Homeopathic remedies are effective against viruses, but
antibiotics are not. In 1918, the worldwide influenza epidemic
killed over twenty million people, and over five hundred
thousand in the United States. At a time when survival rates
were 70% with conventional medicine, they were 98% with
homeopathy. 


Here is a great podcast from Lotus Health
http://lotushealthinstitute.podomatic.com/entry/2010-04-29T12_34_23-07_00

Sashimi Wraps are Good Eatz!

We go to a local healthy eating cafe that serves up these tasty wraps.

Sashimi Wraps

One veggie wrap of your choice
sushi grade tuna or salmon (I prefer tuna)
seaweed salad
pickled ginger
Wasabi Mayo

Put it all together, dabbing the wasabi on as much as you like.

Serve it with Soy Sauce on the side for dipping.

I snagged this cute idea from Good Eatz.


If you are ever in the Berks County area, be sure to try out this little cafe.  It's our favorite place to eat!  Everything is organic and healthy.  They even have a listing of gluten free meals for those with allergies.

Good Eatz Green Cafe

You probably can buy wasabi mayo, but making it yourself you can control how much wasabi is in it, and we love a lot of wasabi!

Walking Tacos

My work does a lot of Harvest for Hunger fundraisers and they did one last month called Walking Tacos.  What a cute idea for a picnic or just when you have a slew of teenagers over at your house, like I do.

You make the taco meat and have the fixins....lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, taco sauce, sour cream, onions etc.....and have them all ready.

Then you pop open a small bag of fritos and give it a crush  and put the stuff in the bag with the fritos.  Give them a fork and they can walk off with their taco in a bag.

You can use other chips too, sun chips, doritos etc.